Notes compiled while waiting for what just about everybody on Tobacco Road insists is inevitable Roy Williams soon being introduced as North Carolina’s next basketball coach.
St. Louis senior prep standout David Lee tells Insider’s Report he received a call from former Carolina coach Bill Guthridge last week.
Guthridge wanted to know if Lee would consider attending UNC if Guthridge remained coach.
The 6-foot-9 Lee told him, yes, the Tar Heels would be on his list that includes Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Florida and others.
The next day Guthridge announced his retirement.
Is it because he felt, at 62, he’d not be able to recruit young talent?
Hinrich on Getaway: Jim Hinrich, father of KU point guard Kirk Hinrich, told the Raleigh News and Observer his son is “off with some of his friends on a Fourth of July getaway.”
Kirk Hinrich, you recall, verbally committed to Iowa State after his junior year in high school, then reopened his recruiting when Tim Floyd accepted the Chicago Bulls’ job.
“For Kirk, those first two days last week (Friday and Saturday) after coach Guthridge left were tough,” Jim Hinrich said. “I think the same can be said for lots of people out here.
“He was all keyed up worrying about what was going on. But the last couple of days, he’s taking things in stride better.”
If Williams leaves, the decisions of Hinrich and Collison to stay or leave could dictate whether the program has a shot at surviving the coach’s absence.
Short on scholarship players for the coming season with just one incoming recruit to replace Lester Earl, Ashante Johnson and Nick Bradford, the Jayhawks would be left with eight scholarship bodies if Hinrich and Collison bolted back to Iowa.
However, there no reason to believe the two Iowans would jump ship.
“It would be a blow to see him leave, but coaches do change jobs. That’s just a fact of sports,” Jim Hinrich said.
Miles Checks In: Aaron Miles, a 6-foot-1 gaurd from Portland, Ore., told Insider’s Report he has a top four list of KU, UCLA, Duke and Arizona. He said he would consider attending North Carolina if Williams were named coach. Miles has also had contact with Oregon, Oregon State, Villanova, Wyoming and USC.
Nash Coach on Hold: Mark Bishop, coach at Turner High in Carollton, Texas, postponed a vacation just to be with KU signee Bryant Nash as Nash waited for Williams’ decision.
“Bryant’s a great kid. You don’t want to see him get into a situation like this,” Bishop told the Dallas Morning News.
Nash, who picked KU over Memphis, has said he’ll come to Lawrence in August even if Williams isn’t aboard.
Childress Williams Fan: Josh Childress, a 6-5 guard from California, told ACC Recruiting Update that North Carolina will be one of his favorites if Williams takes the job. His previous list included KU, Stanford and Arizona. Californian Jamal Sampson, 6-10, says he’s favoring UNC and that won’t change if Williams is named coach. He will keep KU on his list, also.
